Means for checking excessive dead mileage



Aug. 4, 1931.

B. C. PALMER MEANS FOR CHECKING EXCESSIVE DEAD MILEAGE Filed May, 24, 1926 gwue/ntoz Brian C..Pa Znw Patented Aug. 4, 1931 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES.

BRIAN o. PALMER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

Assrenon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro' OHMER FARE REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF YORK MEANS FOR CHECKING EXCESSIVE DEAD MILEAGE I Application filed May 24,

,1 simple, practical and'reliable means for indicating, in a record printing meter, excessively or unusually long trips made by the cab with the flag of the meter in the flag up or For hire position. In the operation of taxicabs it is necesary for the cab owner to check the number of miles travelled by the cab with the flag up between trips. In printing taximeters now in use a record is printed at the end of each trip to show live mileage, and also a printed record is madeof total mileage etc. and to determine the unpaid mileage between trips it is first necessary to obtain by subtraction the paid and total miles, and then subtract the paid miles from the total miles to obtain the dead miles. To do this for each trip would obviously be very costly to the large operator, and furthermore, it is unnecessary to check those trips on which the unpaid mileage has not been excessive.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a novel device which will print or otherwise mark on the record sheet an indication against those trips on which the dead mileage was excessive so that it will therefore only be necessary for the cab operator to check those trips which have been indicated by this device.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view'illustrating the relative position of the parts when the flag of the meter is in the flag up or For hire position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating how the device is rendered inoperative when 1926. Serial No. 111,312.

2 illustrating the manner for resettingthe marking or printing element. I

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Although the present invention is sus ceptible of embodiment of various formsto adapt it to meters of different construction, nevertheless the same includes in its generalv organization a printing member,marker or indicator designated as A, and actuator B therefor, operating means C for the actuator B together with control means D for the actuator, as well as check means E for the indicator, the said control means D being operated by the flag shaft F of the meter.

Referring more specifically to the construction shown it will be observed that the indicator A is preferably in the form of a disk or printing type wheel 1 having thereon a type member 2 of any desired form or character adapted to print a symbol on a record medium indicated by the dotted lines 3 when a trip of excessive length has been made with the flag up. The indicator disk 1 is preferably mounted upon the shaft 4 which sup-: ports the indicating wheels or printing. Wheels, as the case may be for printing the various totals of the metal units. This shaft is usually stationary and the disks of the various units are loosely mounted thereon, the disk 1 in the present instance following that example and carrying on one side there of a ratchet member 5. This ratchet member has two of its teeth cut away as at 6 so that after it' makes one revolution the pawl or actuator B presently to be described, will not further rotate the wheel or disk 1.

' For the purpose of maintaining the indicator disk in its proper position a coil spring. 7 has one end connected to the shaft 4 as indicated at. 8 and the other end connected to the ratchet member 5 as indicated at 9. The efi'ect of this spring 7 will be to normally maintain the pin 10 on the side of the indicating wheel 1 in contact with the stop member 11 as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the type element 2 of the disk 1 is not in position to make an impression on the record medium 3 when the printing bar or platen 12 is moved toward the same, that is, to the dotted line position in Fig. 3, but if the actuator B has been manipulated suiiiciently by the operating means C due to the traveling of the cab with the flag in the For hire position, the .symbol or numeral.- 2 will be brought into. printing alinement so that the impression means 12 *ill cause a record or symbol to be made on the printing medium 3.

The manner of rotating the indicator disk 1 when the flag is in the flag up or For hire position may be readily observed from Fig. 1 of the drawings. "hen the flag is up the cam 13 of the controlmeans D presents a notch 1a to the projecting tooth 15 of the lever16 which constitutes a part of the actuator B. The upper end of the lever 16 carries therewith the pawl 17 whose forward end 18 is adapted to engage with the teeth 01 the ratchet 5 and is prevented from reaching the ratchet by the pin 19. Thelever 16 is pivotally supported at its lower end as indicated atQO and is also provided with another oflset tooth 21 adapted to be engaged by the cam .22 on the mileage shaft 23, the said shaft being continuously driven by the usual cable means from the wheel of the vehicle.

Thecontrol means D also includes a cam Qiimounted on the flag shaft and having the cam projection 25 adapted to engage with the arm 26 of the lever 27 which constitutes the check means E. This lever is pivoted as at 28 and is connected to'the lever 16 by means of the spring whereby the toothed end 30 is adapted to normally engage with theteeth of the ratchet wheel 5.

The check means E which includes the lever 27 always engages the teeth-of the ratchet wheel 5 except when the indicating disk 1 is to be reset as shown in Fig. 3, During the resetting the cam projection :25 engages the arm 26 and throws the lever 27 outwardly so asto permit the disk to travel freely backward on the shaft 4 under the influence of the spring 7.

The operation of the device may be briefly described follows: hen the flag is in the'fla u for For hire iosition as shown in Fig. 1 the device is set for operation. By suitable gearing, not shown, the mileage-cam 22 may be caused to rotate at any speed to cover a predetermined.mileage. As the cam 22 rotates its teeth will engage with the projection 21 on the lever 16 and rock the said lever .onits pivot 20 against the tension of the'spring' 29.; This movement of thelcver 16 is possible because the projection 15 of the leverlies within the notch 1a of the cam 13 on the flag shaft; As the lever 16 is actuated the pawl 17 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5 and tend to rotate the indicating disk 1 in a clockwise direction to bring 12 so that if the distance travelled is excessive the type element 2 will cause a symbol to be marked on the record medium 3. However, if the mileage is not excessive the type element 2 will only be rotated through a portion of its arc of movement and the type element will not be brought into printing position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a distinctive feature of the present invention is to provide an indicator actuated by the mileage cam or shaft for registering excessive mileage or travelling of the cab with the flag of the meter in the flag up position. The indicating wheel, could, of course, be provided with a series of characters so that it would print on the record sheet the actual amount of unpaid miles traveled. It is, however, preferable to merely indicate on the record that the predetermined amount has been exceeded, as it more readily draws the attention of the record checker to those trips that require analysis of their mileage records.

As soon. as the l ag is moved from. the flag.

up a ta i position, as shown in Fig. 2 for example, the cam 13 of the control device I moves the lever 16 out of the range of action of the mileage cam 22. The indicator 1 is therefore rendered inoperative as soon a... the flag moves to a tarili position. It remains inactive until the flag is about to be returned to lag up position, when it is reset previously explained.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation and adaptability of the herein described invention will now be apparent and it will also be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to *ithout departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predetermined limit comprising a rotatable actuator, means for continuously operating said actuator while the flag of the meter is in the For hire" position, a rotatable member, a limit indicating element on said member, and means operated by the actuator for moving therotatable member until the limit indicating element thereon is brought into operative position and for thereafter discontinuing such movement.

2. In a taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predetermined limit when the flag is in the For hire position comprising, the combination with the flag shaft and a multiple toothed cam operated by the movement of the cab to which themeter is applied. oi? a spring tensioned rotatable indicator disk, a ratchet member carried by the disk and havinga tooth omitted at the point representing the end of its cycle of movement, check means for said ratchet member, a lever carrying a pawl and adapted to be operated by the multiple toothed cam for advancing said ratchet until it reaches the point where the tooth is omitted whereupon further movement of the disk is discontinued, and control means on the flag shaft including cams for respectively controlling the operation of said lever and check means.

3. In a taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predetermined limit when the flag is in the For hire position comprising, the combination with the flag sha t and a mileage cam, of a rotatable indicating disk having a single type element thereon, impression means, and means controlled by said flag shaft for causing the mileage cam to advance the said disk to bring the type element thereof into operative relation with the impression means and thereafter discontinue further movement of the disk.

4. In a taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predeterminec limit when the flag is in the For hire position, comprising, the combination with the flag shaft and a mileage cam, of an indicator comprising a disk, means whereby a record may be taken from said disk and means for rendering said disk operative to make a rec- 0rd, said latter means comprising a ratchet with a tooth omitted at a point corresponding to the end of its cycle of movement, an actuating lever carrying a pawl for advancing said lever until the point is reached where the tooth is omitted, a check lever for preventing backward movement of the ratchet, springs for tensioning said actuating and check levers, and cam means on the flag shaft for controlling the positions of said levers according to the position of the flag.

5. In a record printing taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of predetermined limit when the flag is in the For hire position comprising, the combination of a flag shaft, a mileage cam, impression means, a rotatable member having a single marking element thereon, means operated by said mileage cam for operating said member to bring the marking element into operative relation to the impression means and thereafter discontinue such operation, check means for said member, and flag shaft operated means for controlling the operation and resetting of said indicating member.

6. In a record printing taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predetermined limit When the flag is in the For hire position comprising a flag shaft, a mileage cam, impression means, a rotatable 1ndicator disk having a single indicating element thereon, a stop and a spring for maintaining the disk normally against the stop, and lever means actuated by the mileage earn and controlled by the flag shaft for moving said disk against the tension of the spring and away from said stop until the single indicating element is brought into operative relation with the impression means, Whereupon further movement of the disk is discontinued.

7. In a record printing taximeter, means for checking dead mileage in excess of a predetermined limit when the flag is in the For hire position comprising in combination, a flag shaft, a mileage cam, impression means, a rotatable indicator disk having a single indicating element thereon, a stop and a spring for maintaining the disk normally against the stop, and lever means actuated by the mileage cam and controlled by the flag shaft for moving said disk against the tension of the spring and away from said stop until the indicating element is brought into operative relation to the impression means whereupon further movement of the disk is discontinued, check means for holding said disk in the position to which it is advanced by the actuating means, and means controlled by the flag for rendering said check means temporarily inoperative to permit the spring to return the disk against the stop.

8. In a taximeter, a flag shaft, a detector, means whereby said detector is actuated step by step when said flag shaft is in vacant position and means whereby said actuating means is rendered inoperative when said detector has been actuated a predetermined extent.

9. In combination, a detector having a printing element thereon adapted to print on a record, a fiag shaft, means whereby said printing element may be moved into position in which a record thereof may be imprinted on said record when the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance with said flag shaft in vacant position and means whereby said member is thereafter held in printing position until said flag shaft is reset.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

BRIAN C. PALMER. 

